George R.R. Martin says dead 'Game of Thrones' characters will live in the books

It’s no secret among Game of Thrones fans that the HBO show has already gone beyond where George R.R. Martin is with the books, and that the show has occasionally strayed from the novels, sometimes to Martin’s chagrin. In a recent interview with Metro, Martin was quoted as saying, “The book series and TV adaptation go their separate ways. On the screen, characters are killed right and left. About twenty of them have died already, which are quite alive to me and will appear in a new book.” We put together a list of characters who have been killed off on the show but who are very much alive and well in the books — and we’d like to see them stay that way.

Shireen Baratheon: Sure, other than teaching Ser Davos to read, Shireen didn’t exactly add a lot to the story until she was burned at the stake by her father in Season 5, but we liked her anyway. In the books, Shireen and her mother are still safely at Castle Black.

Catelyn Stark: This one is a little more complicated. Both on the show and in the books, Catelyn was murdered at the Red Wedding in Season 4. In the book, Catelyn comes back as Lady Stoneheart, kind of a zombie version of herself with vengeance on her mind. This late in the series, it’s unlikely we’ll see her back on the show.

Hodor: One of the more traumatic deaths onscreen, one that had fans reeling, not just because of his death, but because of the heartbreaking revelation about how he became Hodor in the first place.

And finally, Summer and Shaggydog, Bran and Rickon’s direwolves, respectively. Summer met a violent end at the hands of the Wights, just moments before Hodor, saving Bran from the army of the dead. Shaggydog met his end at the hands of Ramsay Bolton’s allies, the Umbers. Yes, these two get top billing because everybody loves dogs.

Check out the Game of Thrones bromance that’s the buddy comedy we all deserve: